Apparatus for lubricating hydraulic-elevator rams.



u W. WESTON L J. APPARATUS FOR LUBRIGATING EYDRAUMG RAME.

APPLICATION FILED DCT. 20. 19G8. 950,268, Fatene Feb., 19M,

' 01m/6. wif/f Uiillanv Madam rlirrrr are@l WILLIAM WESTON AND JOHN G. ORTH, O'F LOS ANGLES, CALIFORNIA.

APPARAT'S FOB LUBRICATING HYDRAULIC-ELEVATOR RAMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

retreated ren. aa, raie.

Application filed October-20, 1908. Serial No. 458,714.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, VILLIAM Vns'roN and JOHN G. ORTH, citizens of the United States, residing at'Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and usefullmjnovements in Apparatus for Lubricating Hydraulic-Elevator Rains, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to hydraulic elevators, and more particularly to a lubricating apparatus for the rams thereof, to prevent coating of, and injury to, the ram packing.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating our invention,fand formingr a'part of this specification, and wherein like numerals are used to. designate like parts throughout' the figures, Figure l is a view partly in central vertical section, and partly elevation, of a hydraulic elevator ram, its fluid casing, and the packing thereof, and illustrating our improved lubricating apparatus in connection therewith, and, FigQisa cross section taken therethrough on the line 22 ot F ig. l.

Broadly our invention resides in the provision' of m'ean's for lubricating hydraulic elevator rains, which means arelocated hctween the operating fluid in the ram casing, and the stuffing box, or more particularly. the packing of the ram, ordinarily located adjacent the upper end ofA the said casing, whereby to prevent the rain from depositing upon the contacting` surface of its packing any scale or rust which it. may have collected by standing at length within the said operating fluid. In its more specific aspect, however, our invention, for reasons ot simplicity and adaptability to installation within hydraulic elevators in use, contemplates the provision of means whereby t0 form a lubricant chamber within the vupper portion of the ram casing, between the operating tluid therein, and the packing thereabove, and surrounding the ram proper.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates in a conventional form, the lower operating part of a hydraulic elevator, the

numeral 1 designates a vertical cylindrical well casing, in which a rain Q is mounted for vertical, longitudinal movement, and which is adapted to receive and discharge, operating tluid, through a fluid pipe 3, extending therefrom, and connecting at its end, with branch pipes l and 5 leading respectively to the tluid motor, and to the discharge.

The branch pipes 4 and 5 are controlled by a three-way operating valvev 6, which is registered with the motor pipe 4t, to causeA vertical upward movement 'of the ram, and is registered with the discharge pipe 5, upon the downward movement ot' said ram. Above the cylinder or well casing l, the rain 2 passes through a strfiing box S, provided therein with suitable packing 7, which stutting box8 is closed at its lower end by a flanged ring 9, threaded upon the upper end of the casing l, and closed at its upper end byv an adjustable flange 10, provided with an upper circular cup ll, surrounding the ram 2, and adapted to retain `the lubricant broughty upwardly through the packing 7 upon the surface of saidram. The upper end of the ram Q supports `the car or car-v riage 12, as well kno-wn.

ln the specific embodiment of our inven- 'tion, as shown, We lead a lubricant supply pipe 13, through the Well casing l, which pipe 13 extends upwardly therefrom and may be provided uponits upper end,.with an oil receiving funnel le, or may he connected to a suitable pump to force the supply ot lubricant therein. ply pipe 13 may also be provided with'a valve 15 for controlling the feed of theoil.

The lubricantis thus introduced within theupper portion of the well casing l, upon the surface of the operating fluid therein, and being lighter than, and adapted to float upon the surface of such operating fluid, will be ing the saine'downwardly within the opo erating fluid, upon its down-stroke, we provide a retarder 17 which comprises a trastoconical member-supported within. the well casing l, with its upper circular edge in close contacting engagement with the surface of the rain 2, which member is located above the mouth of the operating Huid pipe 3,- whereby to scrape the lubricant from the surface of the rain 2, upon its down stroke. The member 17 may be composed of a plurality of circular overlapping sections 18,

The lubricant supas particularly shown in Fig. 2, whereby t-A Vliuid pipe 3, by bolts threadedly engaging through ythe said casing 1, and radially thereof at equidistant points, which bolts are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and numbered 20. The loose connections of the member 17 Within the well casing 1, for vertical movement therein, is such as to enable its employment in connection with hydraulic elevators whose rains are of such length as to cause the movement of the retarder 17 to the extreme upper end of the `Well casing 1, when the ram thereof is at the limit of its upward stroke',l Infsuch cases, the rams a're providedwith peripheral projections 21 upon their lower ends whereby to engage and carry the retarder 17 upwardly as stated.

From the foregoing description of our invention, it will be readily s een that we retain the lubricant in the simplest manner between the operating :duid in the well casing,

and the packing in the ram lstuiiing boxA whereby .to lubricate the surface of the ram between said `luid and said `packing, thus preventing the ram from .depositing upon the contacting surface of itspacking, any

scale orrust which-fit may `have collected by standing'at'length within the said operating vHuid', thereby greatly lesseningthe friction of the movement of said rain, and greatly 'upon theA discharge stroke. In some cases, it

maybe found .expedient to ploy a ring 22,

of .Suitable material, to surround the made 'up retarder 1-7, in orderto hold the upper edges yof thejsections 18 inclose contact with the-peripher of the ram 2.

In conclu 'n this specification, it should be stated that ubricant is supplied to the lubricating space or chamber, through pipe 13, once in three orfour days, or in some elevators, weeks, and that when so doing the valve 15 'ofsaid pipe'l, is opened and the three-way valve 6 o the operating fluid pipe 8,is registered With the. branch'pipe 5 thereof.

Obviously, from the foregoing, the oil or lubricant, when inserted within the upper portion of the cylinder or well casing 1, will,

by virtue of its being lighter than water, float upon the surface of the operatinguid withinsaicl casing. Thus it will be understood that the retarder 17 ,performs no function of the separating of the water'and oil, Aand inl maintaining such separation, but merely scrapes `the superiiuous oil from the surface of the ram when the saine is upon its down stroke.

the ram packing,than't he upper portion of the well casing, as shown. rlhis is, however,

the simplest construction in which the idea` It should be recognized that other means for retaining a lubricant may be employed between the operating Huid and ing and iluid casing for said plunger, of

means for applying a lubricant to said plunmeans adapted to prevent the plunger from carrying the lubricant downwardly upon its surface and into the fluid, upon the down stroke thereof, substantially as described.

ing Huid 4casing tOr said plunger, of means for introducing a lubricant upon the surfaceot'- the operating fluid within said' casing, and surrounding the ram to iubricate the surface thereof between the fluid and the said packing, and means .inovably supported' .within said casing, adapted to prevent the .2'. In a4 hydraulic aelevator,"the combinatio'n with the plunger thereof, and the packger, at a point between the duid in said cast ing, and theV said plunger packing, and

plunger fronroarrying the lubricant orl a portion thereof, downwardly into the Huid, uponl the down stroke thereof, 'substantially as described. In testimony whereof we our signaturesin presence of twowitnesses.

WILLEAM "12275455TGN.`l

JOHN o. darle.I 

